Automatic switch-thrower.



U. E. MOODY. AUTOMATIC SWITCH THROWER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1908.

vwantoz 2 SHEIZTBSHEET 1.

Patented May 11,1909.

UNITED PATENT orrion.

CLARENCE E. MOODY, OF ZANESVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO GEORGE F. BRENNER, OF ZANESVILLE, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH-THROWER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 25, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. MOODY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Zanesville, in the county of Muskingum and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switch- Throwers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for use in connection with railways, whereby a motorman is enabled to throw a switch without leaving his usual position at the front end of the car. The apparatus constituting this improvement is therefore designed primarily for street railway purposes, but it is to be understood that it is not limited in its construction to such use, since it may be employed in connection with the tramways and other forms of railway construction. In devices of this character it is essential for the most perfect and satisfactory operation that the motorman or operator of the car shall know positively that the switch is properly thrown, and for this reason there is employed in connection with the operating parts of the device a peculiar form of indicating means, whereby the operation of the device will be determined.

For a full understanding of the invention, including its construction and characteristic advantages, reference is to be had to the following detail description and to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a fragment of the track, switch, and arts associated therewith Fig. 2' is a partia side elevation of a car equipped with my appliance; Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 1 is an enlarged plan, similar to Fig. 1, certain parts being exposed by breaking away; Fig. 5 is a detail of the T-lever, and Fig. 6 is a detail of one of the actuators.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figures of the drawings similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Indicated at 10 is any conventional form of railway having the usual rails 11.

12 is a side track upon which the car may pass when the switch point 13 is thrown to the left in the usual manner.

It is to be understood of course that while there is shown a right switch, the same mechanism will be employed for operating a left switch without material alteration.

Located at any suitable point between the rails 11 between the approaching car and the switch is a contact member 15 pivoted at 16 intermediate of its ends to a base plate 17. Adjacent the ends of the base plate 17 and parallel with the rails 11 are upwardly extending flanges 18, the forward edges 19 of which are outwardly flared. Attached to or cooperating with the ends of the base 17 are longitudinal track plates 20, which may extend fora considerable distance beneath the ends of the plate and parallel with the rails 11, and which support said flanges 18. The contact member 15 is provided with beveled ends 15, that is to say, the said member is shorter on its front side than on its rear side, so as to provide that the end which projects forwardly shall extend farther laterally across its track plate 20 than that end of the member which at that time will be in the rear. By this construction that end of the contact member which extends forwardly will always be in position to be engaged by a member carried by the car and described hereinafter. The contact member is preferably protected by a cover plate 21 the ends of which are spaced inwardly a sufficient distance from the flanges 18 aforesaid as to allow room for the operating member to engage and operate the contact member. The plate 21 is provided at its ends with curved guide flanges 18 which cooperate with the aforesaid flanges 18 to insure proper engagement between the contact member 15 and the actuator, below described. Extending downwardly from the cover plate 21 is a rear flange 22 and a front flange 23, which flanges substantially inclosc the moving parts of the mechanism.

Adjacent to the switch is a T-lever 24 pivoted at 25 to a substantial base 26 located between the rails and preferably attached to the cross ties. Said T-lever comprises right and left arms and a rearwardly extending arm 27, pivoted to which is a connector 28 pivotally connected by any suitable means to the movable members of the switch. The aforesaid right and left members of the T- lever are respectively connected to the outer ends of the aforesaid contact member 15 by means of connections 29, which may be cables or any other suitable form of substantial clamp at any desired adjustment. At their front ends the connections 29 may beattached' in any one of a series of holes 31 in the con tact member 15. In order to accommodate said connections 29 the rear flange 22 is pro vided preferably with plurality of holes or notches 22. The connections 29' will preferably be inclosed by means of rigid tubes 29 inactualnse. Inorder to indicate clearly to the motorman the position of the switch there is provided a visible indicatorimmediately operated by said I -lever. The arm 27 extends rearwardly a suitable distance, and its rear end 27 has direct engagement with a switch blade 32. As a convenient means for effecting such engagement the arm- 27 at said rear endmay be notched, within which notch the front end of the switch blade may engage. The switclr box- 33 may be located at any suitable point, either between the rails or for instance on a trolley pole; This switch box is equipped preferably with a plurality of differently colored lights, the

. sevralcolors' servingito "indicate the vari positions which the switch may assume. When the arm 27 is thrown to one side, the switch blade 32 will make connection with such a switchpoint aswill light one of the colored lights. When moved to the opposite side the switch' blade will light a differently colored lampg whereby the motorman will be apprisedof the condition of the switclr.

Each car will be equipped with one or more simple operating means ,-under the control of the motorman, whereby he will be enabled to operate the aforesaid switch throwing. mechanism without leaving his position. Preferably there will be two of such operating means for each car, whereby the motorman will beenabled tov elther throw the switch in order that-he may pass upon the siding, or

else by the operation of the other he will restore to its normal position a switch previously thrown. Each of said operating means will comprise the following essential elements: An actuator 34 movable substantially vertically in a guide 35' suitably su-p-- ported and braced upon the lowerside of the car platform; The lower end ofthe actuator is p referablyprovided with; a shoe 36 within which may be journaled if desired an anti friction roller 37 adapted to engage, when projecting downwardly, the track plate 20,v whereby anylikelihoodof the actuator being thrown into engagement with a cobblestone or other obstacle will be avoided, To the upper end of: the actuator is pivoted "a link- 38, havingpivotal connection with the rearwardly extending lever 39 rigidly connected to a rock shaft 40 Each rock shaft is j ou-rnaled at the front end of the car platform,

sition.

and connected rigidly therewith and project ing upwardly within reach of the motorman is a hand-lever 41, whereby the motorman may have control of the actuator. In its normal position'the actuatorwill be-elevated withinits guide 35, the lever 41 connected therewith being in its upright or forward po- When it is desired for the motorman to change a switch, he will grasp the lever on that particular side of the car, causing'the actuator to be projected downwardly into contact with the track plate 20 into the path of which the end of the contact ,member 15 will at that time be lying; The actuator shoe 36 will thenbe caused by the movement ofthe car to engage suchend ofthe-contact memberl5 causing the-contact member to turnon its pivot 1 6, and such pivotal movementwill be communicated to theT-lever by means of the connections 29. The arm 27 being a rigid part of theT-lever, the-connection 28 will cause the desired movement-of the switch, with a consequent corresponding indication by virtue ofthe sw-itch'blade 32-" coperatingwith such arnm- Any suitable counter-balancingv means may be employed in connectionwith-theoper ating levers 4 1 such means indicated herein by springs 42 so connected with such levers as to tendto maintain themin-normalposition. Furthermore, there may bee-mployed in connection with each of said levers a notched segment 43 in order to maintain such-leverin any position of adjustment;- is

It isto be understood that slights ecific' modifications of construction, may e= resorted to without departingfromthe spirit of 7 thisinvention, ashereinafter claimed A-n-y suitablemateria-ls may be employedin the construction, and the sizes andlen-gthsof the parts may be varied in accordance with specific requirements.

It willbe understood that the actuator 28 maybe shifted from one side of the arm- 27-to* the other in order to ad apt the mechanism of the holes in the con-tact member-to the T-lever, clamps adjnstably connecting. said connections with the T-lever, and meansunderthe control of the motormanto cause movement ofv the contact member. on: its pivot.

2. In combination with railway railsand switch points, of a T-l'ever having right and-- left members and arearwardlyextendingbifurcated arm, a connector extendingfrom' said arm to said switch points, an indicator In testimony whereof I a'ffix my signature switch blooai locatedi bletween saliclll rails, a in presence of two Witnesses.

switch a e ivote t erein an avin its 1 end extending Within the bifurcation of said (LARENOE MOODY T-lever arm, and means under the control of Witnesses: the motorman to operate said T-lever, sub- ELIZABETH LEWIs, stantially as set forth. I ARTHUR M. GRAY. 

